Birth Injuries From Medical Malpractice Create A Lifetime Of Challenges For Victims And Families

Online, March 14, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Los Angeles , CA Dr. Bruce Fagel, who recently spoke at the Consumer Attorneys of California seminar in Hawaii, and also spoke at the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel on March 1, 2012, in Los Angeles, is both a licensed medical doctor and a renowned medical malpractice attorney( http://www.fagellaw.com/ ) who has practiced medical malpractice law for over 30 years.

Dr. Fagel is well aware of the pain and suffering, the lifetime of medical care required, and the amount of time families must devote to a child who suffered a birth injury from medical malpractice. In fact, his law firm, the Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates, has tried and settled more medical malpractice cases for injured parties than any other attorney in California, and has obtained over one billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for their clients.

"What most people fail to understand with a severe birth injury is how much the medical costs will be for a family to care for their child. If their child has cerebral palsy( http://www.cerebralpalsydoctorlawyer.com/Cerebral_Palsy/What_is_Cerebral_Palsy_.aspx ) for example, this can cost upwards of millions of dollars for the proper care and treatment," states Bruce Fagel. Dr. Fagel has seen the costs of caring for severely injured children rise dramatically during the past decade.

Medical malpractice and birth injuries can occur from lack of blood flow or oxygen to the brain, trauma, or infection. Hospitals use a fetal heart rate monitor, which monitors the condition of the baby's heart rate during labor and delivery. Many birth injuries occur because the medical staff fails to correctly interpret the information from the monitor, notify the doctors of a problem, or take immediate and appropriate action when warning signs arise. Birth injuries can also occur if the doctor uses too much force removing the baby from the birth canal, such as the case may be during a difficult delivery when the doctor uses a vacuum or forceps to help the baby's head exit the birth canal. When these instruments are improperly used, they can cause direct injuries to the baby's head and brain, and even lead to death.

Birth injuries resulting from medical malpractice include:

Cerebral palsy - this is one of the most serious birth injuries that a baby may sustain during the labor and delivery process. Cerebral palsy is a term which refers to any number of neurological disorders which permanently affect muscle coordination and body movement. There are different forms of cerebral palsy ranging from mild to severe. Cerebral palsy may be caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain, birth trauma, delivery mistakes, premature delivery, and certain infections.

Failure to provide an emergency C-section if necessary - when an infant is suffering from significant hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) prior to birth or delivery, the doctor must act immediately to prevent permanent brain damage to the baby. One procedure that may be required is an emergency cesarean section. When a baby's heartbeat drops dramatically during labor, the maximum amount of time a physician can wait to deliver the baby before there is permanent brain damage is 17 minutes.

Kernicterus - a type of brain damage that occurs from severe jaundice and elevated bilirubin levels left untreated.

PIH / pregnancy-induced hypertension - PIH, preeclampsia or eclampsia, not properly monitored, can cause tragic outcomes to both the mother and child.

For more information please visit birth injury attorney.

About The Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates

The Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates( http://www.fagellaw.com/ ) specializes in medical malpractice cases resulting in serious injuries to victims. Cases include medical malpractice, birth injuries, cerebral palsy, surgical errors, brain damage, and wrongful death. Dr. Bruce Fagel has tried and settled more medical malpractice cases on behalf of injured parties than any other attorney in California, including obtaining the largest verdict in California history, $460 million dollars. The law firm has successfully obtained over one billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for their clients.

About Dr. Bruce Fagel

Dr. Bruce Fagel is a lawyer and a licensed medical doctor, specializing in medical malpractice. Dr. Fagel practiced emergency medicine for over 10 years before becoming an attorney. This background provides Dr. Fagel with the knowledge and expertise to represent his clients against negligent doctors, nurses, and hospitals.

Media Contact:

Brett Schoneman

Director of Marketing

Law Offices of Dr. Bruce G. Fagel & Associates

Phone (310) 281-8700

[email protected]

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